The Real Story About Noah

When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.  (Genesis 6:1-8, KJV)

Years ago — while volunteering at my former church’s Sunday school — I remember watching the horror come over the faces of the five-year-olds as the teacher told them the story of Noah and the flood. I admit, I questioned God’s actions. It didn’t make sense to me that God would wipe out the human race because the thoughts of their hearts were evil, only to later send His Son to die for sinners who believed in Him, no matter what evils they had committed.  But it was a time and place when I was more interested in what the latest best-selling Christian book had to say than the Bible, so I never pursued it.

Years later, a faithful sister in Christ explained to me that the Nephilim were the giant offspring of fallen angels who had mated with women.  It sounded like something you would see on a television program like the X-Files. I was highly intrigued and incredibly skeptical, which led me to dive into Scripture to determine the truth for myself. For that alone, I will always be grateful.

I found the Nephilim again in Numbers 13:33:

There we saw the Nephilim [or giants], the sons of Anak, who come from the giants; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. (Amplified Bible).

This confirmed that the Nephilim were not like normal human beings.  I searched several commentaries and found an explanation that the “sons of God” were the faithful family of Seth and the “daughters of men” were the descendants of apostate Cain (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown).  But it begged the question: How did a line of giants result from human beings intermarrying with other human beings?  They are referred to in Genesis 6:4 as “the heroes of old, men of renown” and Rob Skiba offers an excellent presentation on Greek mythology and its relationship to the Nephilim, which is worth viewing.

I did a word search on “sons of God” and it only appears two times in the NIV (Genesis 6:2 and Genesis 6:4). In the Amplified Bible, however, I found several passages:

Again there was a day when the sons of God [the angels] came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan (the adversary and the accuser) came also among them to present himself before the Lord.  (Job 2:1)

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now your loins like a man, and I will demand of you, and you declare to Me. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Declare to Me, if you have and know understanding. Who determined the measures of the earth, if you know? Or who stretched the measuring line upon it? Upon what were the foundations of it fastened, or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job:38:1-7)

Using Scripture to interpret Scripture led me to believe that in the Old Testament, the term “sons of God” refers to angels. In the New Testament, it appears to refer to both angels (Luke 20:36) and believers (Matthew 5:9, Romans 8:14, and Galatians 3:26), depending upon which translation you use.

That still left another important question: could angels have children with women? We know that angels appeared on earth and talked to Hagar (Genesis 16:7-11, Genesis 19:21), ate with Lot (Genesis 19:1-3), pulled Lot into the house (Genesis 19:10), seized Lot, his wife and two daughters by the hand (Genesis 19:16), touched Gideon’s staff, meat, and unleavened cakes (Judges 6:21), touched and spoke to Jezebel (1 Kings 19:5), went into a pool and stirred up the water (John 5:4), opened prison doors (Acts 5:19), and gently struck Peter on his side (Acts 12:7).  Clearly, angels are able to physically interact with humans in this dimension.  And if you do a word search, they appear to always be men.

As I searched further, I found author Doug Hamp and others, who opened my eyes to believe that these fallen angels had indeed mated with women to pollute the human gene pool and prevent the Messiah from being born!  Or in the words of Scofield, “Whichever view is held, it is obvious that Satan attempted so to corrupt the race that the Messiah could not come to redeem man.”

Studies into ancient (nonbiblical) texts like the Book of Enoch suggest that these fallen angels also procreated with animals to create new species. Now it begins to make sense why God not only wiped out all of humankind (save for Noah and his family), but also according to Genesis 6:7, “the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground.”  

As Hollywood prepares to launch its blockbuster Noah movie this month, I doubt that most viewers — whether they are believers or non-believers — will truly understand why God caused the flood. 

We should also remember that Genesis 6:4 tells us that the Nephilim appeared before and after the flood. That’s a huge concern for Kingdom believers who are living in what I believe are the last days of this age and those who will be left behind during the Tribulation.  But I will have to save that for next time.

A Consuming Fire

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 

(2 Corinthians 5:10, KJV)

¹² Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;¹³ Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.¹⁴ If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.¹⁵ If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (1 Corinthians 3:12-15, KJV, emphasis mine)

I have been trying to picture what it will be like when I stand before the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ. The Complete Word Study Bible tells us that bema is “by implication any elevated place to which the ascent is by steps.”

I imagine myself as being very small as I climb those majestic steps with my head hung down, feeling nothing except the overwhelming awe, power, and glory of the Lord.

I have been using this mental picture when I pray and worship because it transforms me to a state of complete humility and total obedience.

It also reminds me that any works that I do of my own accord will be burned up as wood, hay, and stubble at the judgment seat of Christ. I will either be rewarded or suffer loss based upon everything I have done in the body, which should be a sobering thought for all believers.

Unfortunately, however, the importance of the judgment seat of Christ has either been shut up completely or reduced to a school-like “report card” with no staggering consequences.

There will be a great deal of shock and surprise beyond the rapture for many believers, which is the apt title of the late Pastor Gary Whipple’s book. He teaches that:

• Wood represents works that are done through the world and its influences
• Hay is works that are done through our flesh or old nature, apart from the Holy Spirit
• Stubble (straw) are the works of Satan in our lives

On the flip side:

• Gold represents works related to the Kingdom doctrines
• Silver represents redemption and the three parts of man (body, spirit, and soul)
• Precious stones represent the Holy Spirit working in our lives

I have also been studying how fire is associated with the Lord. Scripture tells us that:

• The Lord our God is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24, Hebrews 12:29)
• The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire (Exodus 24:17)
• A devouring fire came out of His mouth (2 Samuel 22:9, Psalm 18:8)
• Fire came down from Him (2 Chronicles 7:3)
• He was a wall of fire around Jerusalem (Zechariah 2:5)
• He is like a refiner’s fire (Malachi 3:2)
• Our works will be revealed by fire (1 Corinthians 3:13)
• His eyes were as a flame of fire (Revelation 1:14)

Now as I picture the judgment seat of Christ, I am beginning to wonder if Christ is literally the fire that will either burn up or refine our works? 

Will We Follow Him?

So they called Rebekah and said to her, Will you go with this man? And she said, I will go. (Genesis 24:58, Amplified Bible)

I will go. Three simple words that epitomized Rebekah’s faith in her bridegroom, a man she did not even know! She was willing to leave her home and her people, a type of those believers who are wiling to leave everything behind to follow Christ and become His bride.

And Ruth said, Urge me not to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God. (Ruth 1:16, emphasis mine).

Ruth clung to Naomi, and professed that she would follow her while Orpah kissed her mother-in-law and returned to her people, a type of those believers who remain faithful in Christ and those who turn back to the world.

Then the Lord rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of the heavens. He overthrew, destroyed, and ended those cities, and all the valley and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But [Lot’s] wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. (Genesis 19, 24-26)

This is another type of the saved believer who does not seek first the kingdom and looks longingly back to this world. Throughout Scripture, we see people who falter at some point during their race. Esau sells his birthright for a mere cup of stew. Moses disobeys the Lord by striking the rock twice and is not allowed to enter the Promised Land. In fact, of the estimated 2.5 million Israelites who were believed to be living in the desert during that time, only two men followed God and are able to enter the land: Joshua and Caleb. The others who did not harken to God’s voice are not even allowed to see it (Numbers 14:22-30).

Paul mentions a thorn in his flesh that the Lord refuses to remove despite his pleas on three occasions. I can imagine him crying out:  Lord, give me the strength, endurance, and faith to follow You in all ways and to seek first Your kingdom no matter what the cost.

Satan’s plan remains the same as it was in the garden, which is to disqualify man from inheriting the kingdom. He attacks each of us in different ways. Learn more and be encouraged by John Herbert’s excellent sermons about the three enemies that can disqualify us from the race: the world, the flesh, and the devil.

What Does it Mean to Abide in Christ?

I was listening to an online sermon by Pastor Alan Robinson from Community Baptist Church titled "Abiding in the Vine" and wanted to know more about what abiding in Christ means.

Pastor Robinson mentions that in John 15:1-7, Jesus uses the word abide multiple times (emphasis mine):

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Robinson defines abiding as remaining or continuing in Christ by reading His Word, praying, and going about our daily business as a disciple as Christ. 

I wanted to know if Scripture could tell me more about how we are to abide in Christ.  I did a word search and was surprised to find that there are no mentions of abide in the NIV.  There are, however, 103 mentions in the KJV.

2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”  Every jot and tittle is important, which means we should pay attention to even the smallest details.  

So I used the online Net Bible to look up those 103 Scripture verses.  I discovered that Jesus always used the root word meno (Strong 3306) for abide.  At times like these, I really wish I could read biblical Hebrew and Greek because while God’s Word is infallible, the translators are not.  But according to Strong, meno can mean (emphasis mine):

1) to remain, abide

1a) in reference to place

1a1) to sojourn, tarry

1a2) not to depart

1a2a) to continue to be present

1a2b) to be held, kept, continually

1b) in reference to time

1b1) to continue to be, not to perish, to last, endure

1b1a) of persons, to survive, live

1c) in reference to state or condition

1c1) to remain as one, not to become another or different

2) to wait for, await one

Thanks to this exercise, I have a much better understanding of what it means to abide in Christ Jesus.

Understanding Unexplainable Bible Passages

Have you ever come across Scripture passages that don’t make sense?  The kind that church leaders could never explain to your satisfaction, or worse, they told you to ignore? Here are some that used to confound me (all from the Amplified Bible):

Hebrews 9:28: Even so it is that Christ, having been offered to take upon Himself and bear as a burden the sins of many once and once for all, will appear a second time, not to carry any burden of sin nor to deal with sin, but to bring to full salvation those who are [eagerly, constantly, and patiently] waiting for and expecting Him. (Emphasis mine)

What is this full and future salvation?  And why does it sound like it is only for those who are continually looking for Christ’s return? There were other unexplainable passages about it:

1 Peter 1:5: Who are being guarded (garrisoned) by God’s power through [your] faith [till you fully inherit that final] salvation that is ready to be revealed [for you] in the last time.

1 Peter 1:9: [At the same time] you receive the result (outcome, consummation) of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

These passages say that this future or final salvation is the salvation of our soul. How is it different from the salvation that we receive when we believe in Christ? Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that salvation is a free gift based upon our faith in Christ and not upon our works, lest we should boast.

Then how do you explain James 2:14?:

What is the use (profit), my brethren, for anyone to profess to have faith if he has no [good] works [to show for it]? Can [such] faith save [his soul].

These passages did not make any sense until I understood the difference between present salvation (spirit salvation) and future salvation (soul salvation).  Chitwood explains the difference in this short tract.